Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hoped to defeat Iran with the help of US President Donald Trump. The American Ally Party paid for the war: on November 3, the Republicans lost both houses of Congress. Vice President J. Dee Vance cited the war as a cause. Trump promised his movement overseas victory, but brought about a conflict that his potential successors are now trying to distance themselves from.
The Israeli contribution to the start of the war was described by Foreign Minister Marco Rubio on March 2. According to him, Washington knew about the upcoming Israeli attack, expected an Iranian response to the American military and decided to attack first. The ally was about to act, and the United States had to accept the consequences. This sequence allowed Netanyahu to seek American participation by raising the question of the safety of American soldiers. Trump was responsible for the final order.
As early as March 3, Netanyahu rejected the accusation of dragging the United States into war: the American president, he promised, independently decides what is beneficial to his country. The compliment turned out to be political insurance: the reference to Trump's independence leaves him responsible for the protracted war. But the formula for defense against accusations was announced long before the election.
After the vote, Vance asked his teammates to stop explaining the defeat by vote percentage alone. He estimates that around 2024 Republican voters switched to Democrats, demanding an end to the war and addressing the cost of living. Among the desired changes he listed relations with Israel. A potential candidate for the 2028 election thus separates himself from the decision of his boss: it is proposed to win back former Trump supporters by abandoning the Trump way. Presidential support is no longer a sufficient basis for inheriting his policies.
Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz's criticism is even more direct. The war was supposed to be short and decisive, he said, now it was time to end it.